Hand knitting machine



May 10, 1966 KENJI TANAKA HAND KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1963 3 Sheets-Shae t 1 Fig.2.

INVENTOR K0431; I

ATTORNEY y 1966 KENJI TANAKA 3,250,093

I HAND KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 O 0 0 00 00000OO7KOOKN;AO?OOKQ;O;JO r

N/ 2 IV,

2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY y 0, 1966 KENJI TANAKA 3,250,093

HAND KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 16 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 7.

INVENTOR nk-.744 .44

BY W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,250,093 HAND KNITTING MACHINE Kenji Tanaka, Tokyo, Japan, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Aoyama Kenkyujo, Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan, and one-half to Art Amiki Kabushiki Kaisha doing business as Art Knitter Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a joint-stock company of Japan Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,402 3 Claims. (CI. 66-60) The present invention relates to a hand knitting machine.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a knitting machine, wherein a design selecting device is mounted in the main body of the machine, such as to permit the automatic knitting of various kinds of designs as required.

With this and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the operating'mechanism of the hand knitting machine, designed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view partly in section of the'operating mechanism disclosedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a carriage of the hand knitting machine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the needle selecting device of the hand knitting machine explaining the operation thereof;

FIG. 5 is a front end view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the cam plates, explaining the relation between the needles and the cam plates;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an'operating leverof th hand knitting machine; 7

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectionalview the main body of another embodiment of the knitting machine; and i FIG. 9 is a rear view of the'embodiment disclosed in FIG. 8.

- Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 7, the hand knitting machine comprises knitting needles N, whichare adapted to be moved freely back and forth in longitudinal slots-2 and 3 disposed, respectively, in the front end wall 1 and the" rear end wall 1 of a plate 1 covering the upper surface of the body of the knitting machine. I

The needles N are pressed at the lower end -of the longitudinal slot 2 by means 'of'an elastic band 4 secured to the inner surface of the front end wall 1 Slots 5 are provided in plate 1 for passing butts b of the needles N therethrough. Pattern cam plates 6, 7 and 8 are provided at their lower ends with cam' portions 6b, 7b and 8b and are supported by a U-shaped frame 10 by means of pins 9.passing through inclined slots 6 7 and 8 respectively, aligned in the cani'plates 6, 7 and 8. The lower ends of the pattern'c'am plates 6, 7 and 8 are spaced apart from and cross the tail s of the needles N. v

Each of the pattern cam plates 6, 7 and 8 is provided at its upper side with fork engaging parts 6a, 7a and 8a positioned at different locations relative to each other.

Each of the fork engaging parts 6a, 7a and 8a passes and projects through the U-shaped frame 10 and a transverse slot 12 provided in a base plate 11 to which the U-shaped frame 10 is secured.

Accordingly, each of the pattern cam plates 6, 7 and 8 can slide longitudinally only within the range of movement of the fork engaging parts 6a, 7a and 8a in the transverse slots 12.

Butterfly levers 13, 14 and 15 are rotata-bly mounted on a shaft 16 (FIG. 2), which is journalled in hearings on the base plate 11. The butterfly levers 13, 14 and 15 have at their side surfaces segmented inclined members 13a, 14a and 15a. Each of the cam members 13a, 14a and 15a is adapted to engage the corresponding of the fork engaging parts 6a, 7a and 8a of the cam plates 6,

7 and 8, respectively.

Each of the butterfly levers 13,14 and 15 has a face c and a face d, and upon turning the butterfly levers by manually pressing down selectively the face A on the face B of the butterfly levers, a spring 17 engages the face c or the face d, whereby one end of the inclined cam member 13:: is in a first position in engagement with the fork engaging part 6a of the cam plate 6, and in a second position, the other end of the inclined cam member 13a is in' engagement with the fork engaging part 6a.

In the course of movement from the first position to the second position of the levers 13, 14 and 15, the cam plates 6, 7 and 8 are displaced in one direction due to the inclined cam members 13a, 14a and 15a, respectively. However, since the pins 9 pass through the inclined slots 6', 7' and 8' of the cam plates 6, 7 and 8, respectively, the latter are moved obliquely and downwardly along the inclined slots 6', 7 and 8, and the projected surfaces of the gear teeth shaped cams are positioned just above the tails s of the needles (see FIG. 1).

Also, by returning the levers 13, 14 and 15 from the second position to the first position by pressing the face B thereof, the cam plates 6, 7 and 8 are moved obliquely and upwardly in a direction opposite to the above-stated movement.

A cover 18 of the body of the knitting machine is provided along the back side thereof. The upper surface of the cover 18 is equipped with a transverse window slot 19 (FIG. 2). A cam supporting plate 20 is disposed on the upper surface of the cover 18 and is secured to the base plate 11. The butterfly levers 13, 14 and 15 are received in the transverse window slot 19 and in a slot 21 of the supporting plate 20, as shown in FIG. 2.

Rollers 22 are pivotally mounted on the base plate 11, which rollers 22 engage rails 23 provided on the inner surfaces of the cover 18.

Thus, the base plate 11, the cam plates 6, 7 and 8, the butterfly levers 13, 14 and 15 and the supporting plate 20 reciprocate in longitudinal direction as a single unit. Further, one end of the'spring 17 is secured to the supporting plate 20.

Thus, upon knitting one step of a pattern, the cam plates 6, 7 and 8 are moved over one length of the needles and consequently the same pattern can be repeated by displacing obliquely the cam plates. A conventional'carriage 24 comprises main cams 25 of the wing type, a lowering cam 27 of the partition type forming an upper path of travel 26, swing cams 28 for opening and closing, respectively, the upper path of travel 26, swing-cams 30 pivot on the lower ends of the main cams 25, and designed for opening and closing, respectively, a lower path of travel 29, and tack cams 31 adapted to raise the needles to a tack position in the lower path of travel 29.

Needle selecting cams 32 are arranged on both sides of the carriage 24 along raising cam surfaces at the outer surfaces of the main cams 25. The cams 32 are pivotally mounted at their base points (FIG. 3), at a meeting point of the free ends of the swing cams 28 in the opening position of the upper path of travel 26 with the free ends of the swing cams 30 in the opening position of the lower path of travel 29 and their free ends are always positioned to close the lower path of travel 29.

The needle selecting cams 32 are provided with guide grooves 33, so as to enter the needles passing under the guide grooves 33 into the lower path of travel 29, when the lower path of travel 29 is opened by the swing cams 30. Magnets 34 are arranged along the side surfaces of the needle selecting cams 32 and the lower surfaces of the magnets 34 are disposed at a higher level than the upper base surfaces of the guide grooves 33.

Accordingly, when the butterfly levers 13, 14 and 15 are operated, so as to descend just above the tails s of the needles and the carriage 24 reciprocates, the magnets 34 move the butts of the needles N from the upper parts and the needles N positioned below the downward pro jections of the gear teeth shaped cams formed in the cam plates are pressed downwardly by the projection surf-aces and not raised upwardly and pass during a knitting cycle below the guide grooves 33 of the needle selecting cams 32. The needles N disposed below the downwardly extending recesses rise until the upper ends of the-butts are raised, so as to assume higher positions than the upper base surfaces of the guide grooves 33, and pass along the side surfaces not entering below the needle selecting grooves 33. Thus, the group of the needles N passes through a knitting cycle compared with that of the group of the needles N As shown at the left side of FIG. 3, when the upper path of travel 26 is opened by the swing cam 28 and the lower path of travel 29 is closed by the swing cam 30, the group of needles N passes under the guide groove 33 of the cams 32 and operates to effect a knitting cam course by the rising cam 25, and also the group of the needles N passes through the upper path of travel 26 to effect a vise knitting.

As shown at the right side of FIG. 3, if the upper path of travel 26 is closed by the swing cam 28 and the lower path of travel 29 is opened, the group of the needles N passes the lower path of travel and then stops with holdin-g hooks and the group of the needles N can be knitted to a required pattern by passing it through a knitting cam course, so as to operate the rising cam 25.

Further, by displacing the carriage 24 toward one end of the slotted plate 1 and also by displacing the magnet 34 from the position magnetically attracting the needles, the latter do not engage in any way about the cam plates. Consequently, it several cam plates are lowered to operating positions or if the lowered cam plates are displaced laterally over the length of one needle, the same pattern can be repeated during the following cycle by transferring I it laterally.

In the second embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 8 and 9, the magnets 34 are disposed as wing types at both ends of the sliding foot of the carriage 24 and the tails s of the needles are magnetically attracted by the action of the magnets 34. The function and operation of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first described embodiment.

As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the cam plates are lowered to position the gear teeth shaped parts of the cam plates immediately above the needles and the latter are selected by the action of the magnets provided on the carriage, the needles being separated into those not magnetically attracted and into those magnetically attracted and both groups of the needles being passed through different knitting courses, so as to knit different patterns, respectively. Due to the fact that the mounting of the cam plates is arranged at positions higher than those of the needles, the mechanism of the operating device of the cam plates is considerably simplified and at the same time, the number of the cam plates can be increased so as to knit automatically various kinds of patterns.

Further, the operation of the needles one by one and the resilient selection at the inlets of the guide grooves of the selecting cams are not effected and consequently, the construction of the needle selecting means is considerably simplified.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to 'be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine, comprising a body,

a plate having -a plurality of parallel longitudinal slots covering the upper surface of said body,

a plurality of knitting needles having a butt,

said butts reciprocating in said longitudinal slots of said plate,

a plurality of pattern cam plates disposed parallel relative to each other and across said knitting needles and having inclined slots,

eachof said pattern cam plates having cam portions at its lower end and fork engaging parts at its upper end, I

a frame surrounding at least partly said pattern cam plates,

cross pins extending through said frame and through said inclined slots in order to permit a movement of said pattern cam plates in the direction of said in clined slots, thereby performing a limited upward and downward movement, respectively, and simultaneously longitudinal movement of said pattern cam plates,

a carriage slidably mounted On said body,

magnets secured to said carriage,

means for raising and lowering, respectively, said pattern cam plates, and

a group of said knitting needles disposed opposite recesses between said cam portions of said pattern cam plates being raised with the latter and operated by said magnets to perform .a predetermined knitting pattern.

2. The knitting machine, as set forth in claim 1, where said magnets are secured to said carriage at both ends thereof and operate said group of said knitting needles by magnetic attraction. I

3. The knitting machine, as set forth in claim 1, where said means for raising and lowering, respectively, said pattern cam plates comprise butterfly levers rotably mounted on said frame,

each of said butterfly levers cooperating with a correspending of said pattern cam plates and having two engaging faces, corresponding to two operative positions, and

a spring engaging selectively one of said engaging faces of said butterfly levers upon manual setting of the latter in coordinationwith a predetermined knitting pattern.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL CQMADER, ROBERT R. MACKEY,

' Examiners.

R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A KNITTING MACHINE, COMPRISING A BODY, A PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL SLOTS COVERING THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BODY, A PLURALITY OF KNITTING NEEDLES HAVING A BUTT, SAID BUTTS RECIPROCATING IN SAID LONGITUDINAL SLOTS OF SAID PLATE, A PLURALITY OF PATTERN CAM PLATES DISPOSED PARALLEL RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND ACROSS SAID KNITTING NEEDLES AND HAVING INCLINED SLOTS, EACH OF SAID PATTERN CAM PLATES HAVING CAM PORTIONS AT ITS LOWER END AND FORK ENGAGING PARTS AT ITS UPPER END, A FRAME SURROUNDING AT LEAST PARTLY SAID PATTERN CAM PLATES, CROSS PINS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FRAME AND THROUGH SAID INCLINED SLOTS IN ORDER TO PERMIT A MOVEMENT OF SAID PATTERN CAM PLATES IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID INCLINED SLOTS, THEREBY PERFORMING A LIMITED UPWARD 